Bury Me
by A Pen and a Piece of Mind
Summary: Their game would continue until both players were tired of playing. If Kate ran, Jack would run too and he wouldn't stop until she stopped.


_Welcome to another one shot I've thought of. There may be a few spoilers up to the most recent episode Two For The Road. If you haven't watched it yet, then I do not suggest you read this because this centers around the end of the episode. Anyway I don't own anything as much as I wish I did. Please leave a review at the end._

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**Bury Me**

**by: A Pen anda Piece of Mind**

The beach was quiet except for the constant crashing of the waves against the shore. Every survivor was solemn and mourned the deaths of their newfound friends. Almost everyone had heard about the situation in the hatch, Jack had systematically went around and informed the islanders. He was used to delivering poor news to people but this time it was different, he was affected just like any other family member in the same situation. Hurley looked like a ghost as he sat on the beach mourning Libby. Jack finished telling Charlie what happened and realized that was the last person who needed to be told. He walked to a tree and sat underneath, not able to find the energy to do anything else.

His thoughts traveled, he remembered everything that had happened in the course of the time they were on the island. He recalled every terrifying moment after the crash but as frightening as his memories were, he couldn't keep his mind off of one person, Kate. She had helped him through all the bad on the island and the moment she tried to help out after he told her not to, he pushed her away. Sure she had run from their kiss but he didn't care. His regret was that he didn't go after her, that he didn't tell her right then and there how he felt.

He knew he had been a jerk to her the past week or two after she had nearly been killed and probably needed someone to lean on. He just felt so betrayed, he couldn't stand how much he cared about her. When she said she was sorry, he ached for her more. Even though he knew she was lying through her teeth about how she was sorry, he didn't care and he said everything he needed to in two small words; 'I'm not.'

_What if I wanted to break  
Laugh it all off in your face  
What would you do? _

What if I fell to the floor  
Couldn't take all this anymore  
What would you do, do, do?

Kate walked aimlessly across the beach. She could feel her feet pulling her somewhere but her mind didn't know. She remembered every moment after they returned to the hatch. She could smell the fresh blood from the two dead bodies. Jack tried to save them but they were already gone, everyone in the hatch knew. She had followed Jack when he told Hurley, the pain on his face permanently imprinted in her own mind.

Henry Gale was gone now, Micheal told them what had happened. Ana-Lucia tried to kill Henry but he was too quick and took them all out, so Micheal reacted getting shot in the process. Kate somehow felt like that wasn't the whole story but she wouldn't push for answers today. She walked out towards the ocean and let herself sink, her only escape.

_Come  
Break me down  
Bury me, bury me  
I am finished with you_

Kate's thoughts began to wander over her past crimes, her past in general, and finally they rested on Jack. She needed a friend now more than anything but he wouldn't talk to her. They may have had a conversation or two when they were looking for Micheal but that didn't matter now, that nice, lighthearted conversation would be pushed to the back of Jack's mind after the day's events. Kate looked down the beach and saw him just sitting underneath a tree, he wasn't running around, he justlooked tired and overworked.

She wanted to go talk to him but she wasn't sure he would let her. She wanted to ask him whether or not he had meant what he said before, if he really wasn't sorry. She wanted to ask him if he was telling the truth or if he just said it because he knew she was lying.

_What if I wanted to fight  
Beg for the rest of my life  
What would you do? _

You say you wanted more  
What are you waiting for  
I'm not running from you

Kate pulled her steadily sinking feet out of the sand and put her shoes back on. She began to walk to where Jack was sitting, finally going to have that much needed conversation that the two had been anticipating.

Jack closed his eyes in the shade and tried to forget about everything. He tried to disappear from the island, hoping that no one would need him for a little while. He hated being the designated savior, he never liked the pressure of having someone's life in his hands but the end result was always worth while. He could stand up and say he saved someone and they would have a new amount of possibilities in their life that may not have been possible without his help. That was why he remained a doctor and that was why he helped people, because in some way helping them kept him from realizing his own loneliness and mortality. Today however, no amount of good could wipe out the growing threat amongst the survivors.

Kate was the only person who in some small way had saved Jack from ruining his life. If they hadn't crashed, Jack probably would have wound up like his father, an alcoholic who was slowly commiting suicide. Even though he had pushed her away to keep her safe, he still needed her. The threat that had taken the lives of Ana-Lucia and Libby scared Jack even more when he thought of how they had taken Kate and might try it again. He wanted to talk to her, wanted to kiss her again just for a moment, just enough to help keep him going for another week.

_Come  
Break me down  
Bury me, bury me  
I am finished with you _

Look in my eyes  
You're killing me, killing me  
All I wanted was you

The days felt longer when he ignored Kate. He couldn't sleep a single night since he stopped talking to her. He wracked his mind trying to find some reason for him to start talking to her, just any stupid reason at all. He could have said he needed to check on all the survivors and talk to her like old times. He could pretend that nothing ever happened, maybe she would realize what he was doing and pretend too. She liked to pretend as Jack recalled, they could lie and act like there was no feelings between them. They would lie to each other and the rest of the world.

The game could continue until the feelings became too much to handle and one of them was driven off the edge.

'Then what would happen?' Jack thought, hoping things wouldn't end up the way they were now.

Maybe the game wouldn't end, they would just admit their feelings over time and neither one would run away. If Kate ran, Jack would run, that was how the new game would work. If she fell he would help her up and if she ran, which she would at some point in time, Jack would go after her and he wouldn't turn back for anyone else until he caught up to her.

_I tried to be someone else  
But nothing seemed to change  
I know now, this is who I really am inside_

_Falling from myself  
Falling for a chance  
I know now, this is who I really am_

Kate quietly made her way across the beach towards Jack. She could feel her pulse begin to quicken when she thought of how she would approach him. She slowed down trying to buy time as she thought of something to say. She could pretend nothing ever happened, that this was just like the old days when they would flirt and never pursue anything further.

She longed for those days when nothing was complicated between them. She hadn't slept since they stopped talking. She spent her nights awake in her tent or watching the small fires burn down to embers before she looked up at the sky and thought of something to say to Jack that would put them on good terms again, but she could never think of anything.

_Come  
Break me down  
Bury me, bury me  
I am finished with you, you, you _

Look in my eyes  
You're killing me, killing me  
All I wanted was you

Come, break me down  
Break me down  
Break me down

Jack opened his eyes to look directly into Kate's as she walked. He secretly called out to her, asked her to sit next to him and say something to help ease his longing for her. Kate saw the longing in his eyes, she felt the longing now but she didn't want to make things worse.

She walked past him making it seem as if she hadn't just seen the helpless stare of the lonely person she wanted to help. She continued down the beach walking right past him and Jack looked away out of pure respect for his aching heart. He looked at the waves and felt part of the loneliness subside as he watched her walk away towards Claire. He knew she felt the same thing he felt, a deep longing for the one person that they couldn't have.

_What if I wanted to break...?_

Their game would continue until neither player could take it anymore. The stakes would be raised and they would be broken at the end in more ways than one. If Kate ran Jack would run too, this time he wouldn't stop until she stopped, even if he caught her. When she gave up the game, he would give up the game and that would be when they could finally let go and give in to the spark that drove them together in the first place.

**-The End-**

**The Kill - 30 Seconds to Mars - A Beautiful Lie**


End file.
